Resources & Opportunities

Study, Serve, and See the World

In addition to the engaging class you’ll take as a Civic Innovation major, you have many other opportunities in front of you. You can live, study, and serve for a semester in Dublin, Ireland through our Holston to Liffey Program. You can fund your education by being a Civic Leader Scholar. The opportunities are as limitless as your aspirations.

Live Abroad

Have you ever dreamed of traveling abroad, studying at a major European university, and engaging in significant service-learning work? Through the Holston to Liffey Program, you can do just that.

Holston to Liffey Images

Taylor Moxley overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland.

An Emory & Henry student approaches the entrance to Dublin City University.

A mural on a street in Dublin, Ireland.

Civic Leaders

Hone your leadership skills, learn more about yourself and the community, and help fund your education at the same time! The Civic Leader Scholars is a great opportunity to serve and reflect with classmates. Interested in becoming a Civic Leader Scholar? You can find more information, including applying, here.

Contact the Department

Meet Our Alumni

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/704-rachel-dunne" title="Rachel Dunne" aria-label="Rachel Dunne"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/354_25f3d785419f0eb611f94ba17fd1703d_f1833.rev.1500386495.jpg" alt="Rachel Dunne" title="Rachel Dunne" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="690" data-max-h="390"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/704-rachel-dunne"><p> Rachel Dunne Finds Unlikely Path in Alaska </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> When Rachel Dunne (’04) was a student at E&H, she pretty much set the woods on fire. Lately, she’s been busy putting out fires. This is truly a young woman who knows how to fire up a Liberal Arts degree. </p><p> This is all a corny way of saying that Rachel has been fighting wildland fires in Alaska.</p><p> A double major in Public Policy & Community Service and Psychology, Rachel was a top notch student with a heart intent on making a difference. And it comes as no surprise that she is finding such a creative means of making her way in the world. She wanted to pursue work in the area of disaster relief response after graduate school, but needed job experience. She spent 10 months in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps doing a lot of work in the Gulf region of the U.S. working on Katrina recovery efforts. She also got sent to a very small town in Arizona where her team was assigned to assistance with brush clearing to prevent wildfires. Her superiors suggested she come back after AmeriCorps for a job.</p><p> While she only intended to do the job for a year, she stayed for two and a half years honing her skills not only in firefighting and prevention but also in coordinating fire response, GIS, HAZMAT, EMT, and learned how to drive a water tender (please Google this to see how impressive this feat is).</p><p> After Arizona she found an opportunity to continue this good work and to see some of the country’s most beautiful land. She considered Big Sky country, but ended up in Alaska because of their unique challenges in fire logistics. She served as a fire logistics dispatcher for the Alaska Fire Service, which is part of the Bureau of Land Management. In this role, she helped get the people, supplies, and aircraft out to remote areas of Alaska for wildland fires.</p><p> As is wont to happen, while in Alaska, Rachel ran smack into another Emory & Henry person! Daniel Griggs (’07) was there doing similar work and putting his geography background to good use. Giving Dr. John Morgan all the credit for getting him the right start, Daniel says he finds working for the fire service very “real” in the sense that there is “immediate need for accurate geospatial information.” He ended up in Alaska because he had always wanted to visit the state, so when he got a job offer in Anchorage he jumped at the chance.</p><p> Rachel says folks in her position work seasonally—putting in 6 months of work and then filling the other half of the year with school, other work, travel, or personal projects and hobbies. While the job sounds pretty cushy, it turns out those six months are pretty demanding. On a fire assignment, dispatchers and firefighters alike usually work 14 straight days of up to 16 hour shifts. In many ways, it’s more of a lifestyle than a job.</p><p> So what happens during those long days? This season, Daniel got sent out to the field as a GIS specialist, providing custom real-time maps of fires for the incident decision-makers. Rachel moved to another dispatch center as an aircraft dispatcher, where she finds the helicopters and planes that support both fires and scientists in interior Alaska and the lower 48. “It’s not every day you get to say, ‘Yeah, I ordered a jumbo jet at work today’,” says Rachel. “The best part of the job is the constant challenge—you never know who is going to call or what they are going to need, and it’s great to be able to say, ‘Sure, I can make that happen,’ even when it means getting people or supplies into parts of Alaska your average tourist will never even think about visiting.”</p><p> With these new job demands, Rachel is less “fire fighter” and more “travel agent” – booking flights into all corners of the state. Whether they are VIPs touring Alaska before making recommendations on energy or land management policy, scientists researching animal habitats and archeological sites, or firefighters protecting Alaska’s assets, everybody knows they’ll have to fly to get to their Alaskan destination. “I may miss the smell of smoke and getting to do things with my own hands, but what I can do with a phone and a radio allows those professionals to make the difference, and I’m proud to be part of their support network.”</p><p> While Daniel will stay on with Alaska Fire Service in Fairbanks for the near future, Rachel plans to move on after this season ends. “What’s next? I don’t know, but if you’d told me I was going to be a firefighter or live in Alaska while I was at Emory, I’d have laughed. I just keep believing in the hope that people can do amazing things when we are willing to take on a challenge, even if it means leaving our comfort zones behind.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/704-rachel-dunne" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/786-julie-meadows" title="Julie Meadows" aria-label="Julie Meadows"><img src="/live/image/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,50,375,424/562_Julie_Meadows.rev.1505324079.jpg" alt="Julie Meadows" title="Julie Meadows" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="375" data-max-h="532"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/786-julie-meadows"><p> Julie Meadows, ’17: Youth Advocate and Traveler</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><h4><strong>Julie Meadows - CityYear Mentor, Milwaukee, WI</strong></h4><p> </p><p> “Through my time in the program, I had the opportunity to practice what I had learned while serving abroad in Dublin, Ireland and working on a major project in my local community. My professors were willing to help in times of need and did a fantastic job in preparing me for a future career, and I would not be where I am today without their guidance.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/786-julie-meadows" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/770-ashley-anderson" title="Ashley Anderson" aria-label="Ashley Anderson"><img src="/live/image/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,51,640,691/541_14429489_10104176658464845_379036427_n.rev.1505248978.jpg" alt="Ashley Anderson" title="Ashley Anderson" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="640" data-max-h="960"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/770-ashley-anderson"><p> Ashley Anderson, ’05: Higher Education Professional and Diversity Advocate</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><h4><strong>Ashley Anderson - Regional Admissions Representative, University of Alabama</strong></h4><h4><strong>Graduate Degree: Master of Arts in Teaching, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Indiana University</strong></h4><p> </p><p> “I learned how to make a difference in the world because of my time spent at Emory & Henry College…I carry the teachings of E&H with me everyday, especially in the workplace where I pride myself on being a change-maker. In my current position, I work with entering college students, and I have a strong passion for working with undocumented and LGBTQ+ students and helping them find the right college fit. I was able to cultivate this passion during my time E&H where I learned to be an advocate for justice and equality.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/770-ashley-anderson" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/784-max-palmer" title="Max Palmer" aria-label="Max Palmer"><img src="/live/image/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,49,468,517/560_Max_Palmer.rev.1505323357.jpg" alt="Max Palmer" title="Max Palmer" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="468" data-max-h="713"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/784-max-palmer"><p> Max Palmer, ’17: Bridging Culture and Language</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><h4><strong>Max Palmer - Auxiliar de Conversación, Spanish Embassy, Almería, Spain</strong></h4><p> “…try EVERYTHING! This program has many different routes you can take, so do some exploring, find what you’re into, and let Civic Innovation work in your favor: customize it to make it the perfect program just for you. Anything is possible in this program!”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/784-max-palmer" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/785-justin-oliverio" title="Justin Oliverio" aria-label="Justin Oliverio"><img src="/live/image/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,65,402,468/561_Justin_Oliverio.rev.1505323764.jpg" alt="Justin Oliverio" title="Justin Oliverio" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="403" data-max-h="640"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/785-justin-oliverio"><p> Justin Oliverio, ’04: Attorney </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><h4><strong>Justin Oliverio - Attorney, Atlanta, GA</strong></h4><p><strong>Graduate Degree: Juris Doctor, Mercer University School of Law</strong></p><p> “Once you start seeing the world as an advocate for social justice, you can’t go back. It’s a blessing and a curse. If you have the passion for social justice, change, and world peace, it’s a path that you can’t avoid. You shouldn’t. Dreams are meant to be aggressively pursued…What I didn’t realize when I was in, and recently out, of college was that this pursuit is taxing: mentally, physically, and emotionally…Anyone interested in social change will be motivated to spend their time and energy helping others; that fire is in you. My advice would be to make sure you are spending as much time taking care of yourself and enjoying all the great experiences life has to offer along the way.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/785-justin-oliverio" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/771-jason-hill" title="Jason Hill" aria-label="Jason Hill"><img src="/live/image/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,155,720,874/542_HillJason2016.rev.1505249450.jpg" alt="Jason Hill" title="Jason Hill" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,155,720,874/542_HillJason2016.rev.1505249450.jpg 2x" data-max-w="720" data-max-h="1080"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/771-jason-hill"><p> Jason Hill, ’14: Community Leader and Educator</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><h4><strong>Jason Hill - Community Director and Student Success Mentor, Guilford College, Greensboro, NC</strong></h4><p> </p><p> “I’ve found that the ability to make a difference in the face of status quo usually comes down to the questions of values, choice, and courage. When I entered into the real-world after college, I became the status quo and failed at them, but once I started to be honest about my values, I was able to make choices according to them. That all led me to find real, applicable ways I was able to take action and on a comparatively small scale, start making a difference in everyday life. None of this would have been possible without finding the courage to take steps in unsure directions. Just remember to be patient with yourself. It takes practice, and the application looks different for everyone.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/771-jason-hill" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>

<span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/708-mary-beth-tignor" title="Mary Beth Tignor" aria-label="Mary Beth Tignor"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,200/358_MaryBethTignor.rev.1500388800.jpg" alt="Mary Beth Tignor" title="Mary Beth Tignor" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="300" data-max-h="200"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/708-mary-beth-tignor"><p> Love for the region keeps Mary Beth Tignor’s future local. </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Her love of this region and her passion for education are the fuel to her daily work. </p><p> Mary Beth was a part of the first Emory & Henry Honors Program cohort that graduated in Spring 2013. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Community Service. Currently, she is working as an AmeriCorps with Appalachian Sustainable Development and pursuing a Master’s degree in Education with a focus area of Middle School Science. </p><p> Serving the community of this region has always been one of Mary Beth’s passion and love. As a student at Emory & Henry, she served as a volunteer of an on-campus after school program called Highlands Project. She said, “Through this program and some of my courses, I developed a passion for education and the children in this area.” Since then, she has created and is the current coordinator of a after school program at a local elementary school. Her most memorable experience in the Honors Program is going to New York City as an upperclassman leader with First-Year Honors Scholars. After her first trip to New York City, Mary Beth had learned a lot from her experiences and really enjoyed sharing them with the First-Year Honors Scholars. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/708-mary-beth-tignor" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>